still her hands. “And stop fidgeting. You look like you’re ready to sprout wings and fly away.”
His touch thrilled her senses and she withdrew her hand sharply, her gray gaze clashing with his. Adam’s expression hardened and he drew back in his seat and gave her a long look.
“I suggest,” he began through tight lips, “you at least try to act like you have some feelings for me. Ed wants us to make up and having you cringe back in horror at my touch isn’t going to cut it.”
Chapter 9
Adam ordered a bottle of Chardonnay while they waited for Edward to arrive. Kate was nervous but she managed to carry on an agreeable conversation. They discussed the weather, the menu, the city, mundane topics, but agreeable nonetheless as their earlier tension melted away.
At one point he said, “I thought we could start on your research tomorrow night. We could go to Fantasies at nine and you could represent the nice girl.”
Kate’s stomach did a peculiar flip flop. “Tomorrow?”
“Yes, tomorrow. There’s no reason to wait, is there?”
“I suppose not.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up at eight thirty.”
“Fine,” she replied uneasily.
An attractive blonde woman wearing a white slinky dress rose from her seat nearby and passed their table. Kate caught Adam giving the woman a quick glance as she sauntered by his side.
Her stomach dropped.
“You’re scowling again. What is it?” he asked with a raised brow.
“Nothing.”
He frowned. “It’s not nothing. You’re fidgeting again.”
Her gaze travelled to the blonde sauntering away. A few moments later she returned and Adam gave her another brief glance.
Kate was irked and she frowned again, wrestling with the daunting knowledge that she was… jealous? Her heart thudded.
“You’re still scowling, Kate, and I see Ed at reception. You need to play your role.”
“Oh? Well, I think you need to do likewise.” Adam’s brow knotted questioningly and Kate took a deep breath. “It won’t do having you stare at every beautiful woman who passes our table.”
“What beautiful woman?” he asked, clearly puzzled.
“The blonde wearing the white dress,” she replied, motioning over her shoulder. “But don’t worry. I understand. Men are susceptible to feminine wiles, and you are, after all, just a man.”
“I see,” he said quietly, his gaze going over her shoulder to the blonde a few tables away. “Mm, yes. I can see what you mean about feminine wiles,” he remarked with deliberate ease. “She does seem to have an abundance of wiles , but you are mistaken,” he added, returning his gaze to Kate. “I didn’t stare at her.”
“You did.” His face darkened and she wished she would shut up.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re jealous.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Her face felt like it was flaming.
“Is it? And could that be the reason your scowl reappeared?” He seemed to be enjoying this and Kate wanted a hole to appear and swallow her up.
“If accusing me with petty jealousy will appease your already bruised ego, then so be it. I will not discuss this any further.”
His face turned a dark shade of red. “Bruised ego?” He glowered. “God, you’re cold, bringing up using me as an experiment.”
Kate gasped. That’s wasn’t what she meant! She felt a twinge of remorse. “I…I was referring to my refusal to have dinner with you yesterday and…and the roses you sent me. I…I never thanked you. I didn’t mean—”
“Save it,” he said. “It’s curtain time.” Unexpectedly, he took her hand and brought it to his lips. Shocked, she watched his expression soften as he kissed her fingers. “Ed’s right behind you and closing in fast,” he murmured beneath her hand. “At least, act like you’re enjoying this.”
She was about to say something, but Ed’s voice stopped her. “Ah, it does an old man’s heart good to see you two have patched things up.”
With deliberate ease, he kissed her hand
His touch thrilled her senses and she withdrew her hand sharply, her gray gaze clashing with his. Adam’s expression hardened and he drew back in his seat and gave her a long look.
“I suggest,” he began through tight lips, “you at least try to act like you have some feelings for me. Ed wants us to make up and having you cringe back in horror at my touch isn’t going to cut it.”
Chapter 9
Adam ordered a bottle of Chardonnay while they waited for Edward to arrive. Kate was nervous but she managed to carry on an agreeable conversation. They discussed the weather, the menu, the city, mundane topics, but agreeable nonetheless as their earlier tension melted away.
At one point he said, “I thought we could start on your research tomorrow night. We could go to Fantasies at nine and you could represent the nice girl.”
Kate’s stomach did a peculiar flip flop. “Tomorrow?”
“Yes, tomorrow. There’s no reason to wait, is there?”
“I suppose not.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up at eight thirty.”
“Fine,” she replied uneasily.
An attractive blonde woman wearing a white slinky dress rose from her seat nearby and passed their table. Kate caught Adam giving the woman a quick glance as she sauntered by his side.
Her stomach dropped.
“You’re scowling again. What is it?” he asked with a raised brow.
“Nothing.”
He frowned. “It’s not nothing. You’re fidgeting again.”
Her gaze travelled to the blonde sauntering away. A few moments later she returned and Adam gave her another brief glance.
Kate was irked and she frowned again, wrestling with the daunting knowledge that she was… jealous? Her heart thudded.
“You’re still scowling, Kate, and I see Ed at reception. You need to play your role.”
“Oh? Well, I think you need to do likewise.” Adam’s brow knotted questioningly and Kate took a deep breath. “It won’t do having you stare at every beautiful woman who passes our table.”
“What beautiful woman?” he asked, clearly puzzled.
“The blonde wearing the white dress,” she replied, motioning over her shoulder. “But don’t worry. I understand. Men are susceptible to feminine wiles, and you are, after all, just a man.”
“I see,” he said quietly, his gaze going over her shoulder to the blonde a few tables away. “Mm, yes. I can see what you mean about feminine wiles,” he remarked with deliberate ease. “She does seem to have an abundance of wiles , but you are mistaken,” he added, returning his gaze to Kate. “I didn’t stare at her.”
“You did.” His face darkened and she wished she would shut up.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re jealous.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Her face felt like it was flaming.
“Is it? And could that be the reason your scowl reappeared?” He seemed to be enjoying this and Kate wanted a hole to appear and swallow her up.
“If accusing me with petty jealousy will appease your already bruised ego, then so be it. I will not discuss this any further.”
His face turned a dark shade of red. “Bruised ego?” He glowered. “God, you’re cold, bringing up using me as an experiment.”
Kate gasped. That’s wasn’t what she meant! She felt a twinge of remorse. “I…I was referring to my refusal to have dinner with you yesterday and…and the roses you sent me. I…I never thanked you. I didn’t mean—”
“Save it,” he said. “It’s curtain time.” Unexpectedly, he took her hand and brought it to his lips. Shocked, she watched his expression soften as he kissed her fingers. “Ed’s right behind you and closing in fast,” he murmured beneath her hand. “At least, act like you’re enjoying this.”
She was about to say something, but Ed’s voice stopped her. “Ah, it does an old man’s heart good to see you two have patched things up.”
With deliberate ease, he kissed her hand
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